Absolutely beautiful!!! I needed a place to relax after my…read moreflight into Chicago. While I waited on my daughter's flight to come in (about 5 hours later). Next trip I'll be planning a picnic either when we land or before we fly out. What a beautiful and well maintained space. Filled with so much information and respect for America's heroes. Can't wait to come back!

My son had a play date here and we met at the playground. The equipment was new and they had…read moreartificial grass as the turf. Fun things for all ages. The park / lake was peaceful and beautiful. What a great place to take a walk, have a picnic, or ride on one of the swan boats.

Nice little spot to sit and relax around the lake with your smoky or jus by yourself, also good…read moreplace for kids to play in the open area. Have multiple places around the lake to get some fresh air. Well maintained, does have a portable potty. It's more of a picnic place, I see a lot of people come here mostly for fishing. I ended up here looking for trails to run by in he neighborhood. Even though it comes up in suggestions when you are looking for nearest trails for nice long run, this isn't the place for that. It does have little unpaved path around the lake which almost comes around close to a mile but not a recommended one for runs/walks. Parking available too.

This is an adorable hidden gem. Great picnic location and looks amazing in photos! Would totally…read morerecommend to all ages. The walking trail isn't paved so be weary about your shoe choice. Saw tons of people fishing and relaxing with their dogs. Overall, had a great time!

Horrible place. The forest preserve across the street is always open, yet this place is closed on a…read moresaturday, with no repairs going on, on a beautiful day. Our tax money is being used to pay these employees NOT to do their jobs. Lake County Forest Preserves are ALWAYS open.

Although Potawatomi Woods is not huge by comparison to other local preserves, it has a nice charm…read moreto it. This location has all the basic features such as areas to fish or boat, as well as paths for walking, hiking, and bicycling. There's also a grove available for picnics. Parking typically isn't too difficult and people are generally spread out fairly well across the woods, so you can enjoy a casual stroll without worrying about feeling crowded. These woods have a good variety of natural features that make it a great place to take pictures of the fall colors. If you have the right lenses, there's a nice variety of birds that can be photographed -- or possibly deer, rabbits, and other wildlife. Overall, it's amazing to have such a beautiful area in the middle of the busy suburbs. Definitely worth a visit if you live in this area and want to enjoy some natural beauty.

I have been to Lake Arlington a few times since moving to the area…read more This place is absolutely fantastic and very simple so no complaints. There is always parking, which is also great. What's even better is the boathouse that has some food and snack options as well as the rental options. The pricing on the food is absolutely fair If not super generous and the pricing on the kayaks paddle boats, etc. is also very fair. This is a great place to come to whether it's warm or cold. The walk is very scenic as are the houses. I have always found lots of families here which is fantastic. This place is truly an asset to the community. I'm so glad that it's here.

Most people go to LA to walk, jog, roller blade, or bike, but there's a lot more to do--you can…read morerent a canoe, a paddle boat, a sailboat, or go fishing! There is a 2 mile blacktop paved loop around the lake. It is mostly flat and only about 10-15% shaded. The trail has two lanes--a walking / running lane, and a biking / roller blading lane. This can be tricky to navigate, especially when it is busy. While there are no dogs allowed on the path, you should expect to encounter a goose crossing or two during your visit. "The Boathouse" has restrooms, and there are a number of park benches and water fountains along the trail. Don't forget to visit the large playground with the kids.

Gallery Park started out as a collection of flat aprons and runways in the Glenview Naval Air…read moreStation. The Naval station closed in '93, and the hundred and fifty acres that now comprise Gallery Park became available, and were incorporated as this park. Tip: There are several different trails here, all of which loop around Lake Glenview. The lake also has several piers, some small islands, and a bridge My two favorite trails here are the Lake Trail (one and a half miles long) and the Park Trail (one point eight miles long). I used to also very much enjoy the Lakeside Trail, but I ran into far too many ticks the last time I went there, so I've been avoiding it. Over and above the hiking trails, the park also has several soccer fields, tennis courts, and even some catch-and-release fishing spots. Last (but not least) there's a fitness zone with equipment for cardio steps, chest presses, an crunches, etc. But wait, there's more! You'll also find a children's garden, bike racks, water fountains, and picnic tables. All in all this is a pretty cool place to relax and get some nature on :-)

Gallery Park and Lake Glenview are wonderful parts of The Glen. The lake trails cover less than 2…read moremiles, and are an easy, flat hike around Lake Glenview. The park and lake have been landscaped with native plants and offer great colorful additions from Spring through Autumn. The trails are paved but there are also single track trails of crushed gravel that follow the lake shore more closely. There are also tick warning signs along the lakeside trails which are nice reminders to hikes to check out their shoes and clothes after a hike to make sure you are not bringing home any hitchhikers! The scenery here is peaceful and relaxing. The lake is large and very pretty and it's easy to forget you are in suburban Chicago. The park offers tennis courts, work-out stations, and a small amphitheater. This is a great natural area to hike and enjoy our beautiful native plants!!

It's an OK forest preserve, but there's not a whole lot here. There is a man made lake here with a…read moreboat ramp. I learned that the man made lakes, like Big Bend, along the nearby I-294 tollway were originally created for landfill material. You can ice fish here if that's your thing, and there were a couple of fishermen present on this fall afternoon. The only trail is a graveled portion of the 28 mile long Des Plaines River Trail that winds through here. On my maiden stroll through here, there were more bikers than walkers, but that's neither here nor there. As I walked exploratorily on the grass area (no trail) near the lake, there's a lot of dried up dog or coyote of whatever poop laying around so it wasn't the most enjoyable walk, so just an fyi. I did learn from a sign here though that I live on a 280 million year old 5 mile wide meteorite crater that I never heard of or knew about!

My husband, friends, and I love this place! It's pretty clean and is absolutely beautiful,…read moreespecially during sunset. There is a path around a decent sized pond where many run or jog, and there are plenty of benches to sit on around the path, as well. A nice perk is that you can watch all of the cute ducks and geese all over the place. Be careful where you're walking because poo is kinda everywhere, though haha! There is a free outdoor workout area you can use with a good amount of different machines, and there are also canoes and peddle boats that you can rent. I haven't been here in the winter season yet, but apparently you can ice skate on the pond when it's frozen during winter, too. Don't let me just tell you how gorgeous this lake is, see for yourself! Many people also fish here, but during certain times, the lake has green algae, so I wouldn't recommend being that close to the water if there are signs out.

Great park and very relaxing time!!! Would recommend for…read moreanyone looking for a great place to unwind!

Great little path, little bit of an incline going up over the bridge, can be a little rough as some…read moreof the trail is just gravel and dirt. Friendly people walking along this path saying hello and smiling at you.

A hidden gem in Bloomingdale. 2 looped crushed limestone paths. Dogs and bikes welcome. Very clean…read more Ample parking. Great for birding.

This lakeside club is the gem of Highland Park! The cozy clubhouse on Lake Michigan with canoes,…read morekayaks, sailboats and friendly members of all ages is our favorite place to be in the summertime.

This place is a hidden gem that's underutilized. For less then $300 bucks, a beachfront clubhouse…read morewith a huge deck including grills, tables, kitchen, showers, equipment, storage, and free to use club equipment such as kayaks, paddle boards, windsurfers... I'm here almost everyday. I can't understand why this place isn't completely packed with members all summer.

It was a breath of fresh air the morning I decided to finally venture up to Skokie Lagoons to run…read more It was only a matter of time that I would visit after having passed through it via the North Branch Trail System while training for the Chicago Marathon some time ago. My visit to the actual site came after having the desire of running somewhere different, as well as having no interest in running the ever so congested Chicago Lakefront Trail. At the time, it was marathon training season with many runners out training for their fall and winter marathons. And not to mention other individuals out on the Lakefront Trail whether it be biking, walking, skating, or even at the beaches which I just did not have the tolerance for at the time. My GPS took me to what is labeled as Forest Way Picnic Grove #1 where I ended up parking. However, if you want to start your activity at the mile marker starting point, I recommend parking where the Chicago River Canoe and Kayak shed is located which is 1770 Tower Rd. Parking there will put you right at the 0/4.4-mile marker on the path. If not, Skokie Lagoons has several places to park your vehicle which are mostly along Forestway Dr. Prior to starting my run, I could not resist taking in the beauty of the lagoon which made me think to myself why did it take me so long to visit. As a fitness enthusiast that has been running for years, I would categorize the difficulty level of Skokie Lagoons as moderate because the terrain is not entirely flat; there are rolling hills in between miles 1-3, but nothing excruciating. And there are distance markings along the pavement of this loop style paved path totaling 4.4 miles per loop. Well into the path, I felt that sense of being in nature as I made my way around the loop. I also felt that feeling of being secluded on parts of the path, but there were always encounters with bikers at some point that kept me in the moment as well as the sounds of vehicles on the nearby roads. As mentioned, I encountered bikers mostly, but I did see walkers and runners occasionally along the path. And throughout my entire time on the path, I encountered two deer which crossed my path as they headed towards the lagoon. I spent a little over 3 hours on the path but could have easily gone longer if I wanted to. Like the start of my run, I took in the beauty of the lagoon again which looked so gorgeous with the sun beaming down on it, giving it that lustrous look. And I overheard the screeching sound of a bald eagle as I stretched and massaged my leg muscles off to the side of the path. There are a variety of activities you can conduct within Skokie Lagoons; some of those activities I saw or can certainly see are fishing, canoeing, kayaking, bird watching, hiking, running, walking, biking, and even inline skating. And along the path, there are waste and recycling bins, even benches throughout. Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Skokie Lagoons, as indicated in this review. As a runner, I can see myself returning just to conduct interval runs around its loop in build-up to long run events I participate in. ~Gonna run 'til I don't jiggle. ~ Thomas G

Having lived in Chicago and visited Skokie Lagoons many times before, I can't believe I never left…read morea review! Recently visiting friends in Evanston and needing a place to hike on a 70-80 degree day on my way back to Milwaukee, SL was a no-brainer! Skokie Lagoons has: - Great paved biking trails - Public kayak/canoe launch - Kayak/canoe rental - Good fishing! (Caught a NICE largemouth bass here once) - Lagoons, swamps, and more! - Paved trails that lead into Chicago Botanic Gardens I was hiking on the paved bike trail, which frankly, they're pretty long trails! Better for running, biking, and watersports IMHO. I can't believe people drop less than a 5-star review for this place!